


Terrorist.

by annaiva_v



Series: Welcome home [2]
Category: IT (Movies - Muschietti), IT - Stephen King, Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Angst, Blood and Gore, Canon-Typical Violence, Character Death, Corruption, Emotional Hurt, Emotional Manipulation, General Feelings Of Unease, Graphic Description, Hurt No Comfort, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, M/M, Not Happy, Out of Character, Plot Twists, Sorry Not Sorry, there is no happy ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-18
Updated: 2020-11-22
Packaged: 2021-03-09 02:02:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,159
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27086791
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/annaiva_v/pseuds/annaiva_v
Summary: Mama, they say I'm a terrorist, what?I did nothing wrong, but I got on a black listMama, they say I'm a terrorist, why?If doomsday is coming, I won’t go to heaven
Relationships: Eddie Kaspbrak/Richie Tozier
Series: Welcome home [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1944757
Comments: 5
Kudos: 9





	1. There's something about you

**Author's Note:**

> I'm finally back from a very long break. So sorry to keep you all waiting but I've got the first chapter of the new story done. I hope you enjoy!

“I’m h _ome_ now.”

I try to run in after him, but Mike grips my arm hard and holds me back.

“He’s going to die in there!” He disappears into the red light of the portal and it crackles, almost sounding like speaking. Come Home. It’s barely heard but I can make it out, I still struggle against Mike’s hold.

“Close it!” He yells, and the portal flickers a few moments before closing in on itself. He lets go of me and I drop to the floor, the wall is unmarked almost like nothing was ever there.

“Will?” I shove Mike’s hand off me and get up.

“Why did you let him go? He’s alone in there, or worse, he’s fucking dead! All because you let him go in!” There’s a sad expression on Mike’s face when I turn to him, it does nothing to lessen my rage.

“We didn’t let him, he ran off.” 

“Bullshit!” I scream, Hopper seems offset at my sudden fit of anger. Why had we been so stupid, to come down here with no plan? If we just waited a few more days and actually came up with a plan, maybe Richie would still be here.

“You let him go, but not me. You let him go alone, into that fucking hell world!” Mike’s eyes glisten with used tears, and I feel a pang of guilt for shouting at him.

“Because I couldn’t lose again.” My rant dies on the tip of my tongue as Mike whispers the words.

“He was your family, Mike.” Mike’s face is stricken and I reckon it’s finally hit him that his cousin might be dead.

“We should get out of here,” Steve speaks up and the spell around us breaks, and I become aware that we’re not the only ones in the room.

“Yeah.” Al but one of us was out, a sombre mood laying heavy on our shoulders. Once we’re in Hopper’s car he slams his hands down on the dash and the whole car rattles.

“Fuck!” He scrubs his hands over his face and hits the dash a few more times.

“There was nothing we could do,” Dustin speaks up and I direct my attention to him.

“Something can always be done.” 

The gravity of the situation finally sets in when Hopper drops me off at home, without Richie.

“Hey, honey, where’s Richie?” It takes everything in me to not break into tears in front of her, Nancy looks at me funny.

“I’m not sure. He hasn’t come home yet?” She must think it’s weird that we left together but didn’t come home together.

“That’s strange, it’s getting late out.” I walk up to my room to avoid any more difficult questions, Nancy follows me. Before I can close my door she puts her foot to stop it, I silently curse.

“What happened?” She can probably smell the stench of death radiating off me., can see the shame.

“We went looking for the lair, it was Richie’s idea. And he was too fast for us, he went into the portal before we could stop him.”She sits down next to me with wide eyes.

“What happened, Mike?” My throat is clogged with emotion and I have trouble speaking.

“We had to close it, we didn’t have a choice.” the tears finally come and she cradles me in her arms.

“He’s gone, I know I didn’t like him, but I never wanted this to happen,” I tell her all about what happened and she listens with rapt attention. Once I’m finished she rubs a hand over my back as I sob into her chest.

“We’re going to get him back, don’t worry. We’ll figure this out.” 

My body’s stiff against the hold of Richie’s cold arms, the room is silent.

“What the fuck are you doing here?’ He’s supposed to be like a thousand miles away, not here standing at Mike’s door.

“I missed you, do you not want me here?” He pulls back with a frown on his face. I stutter in my haste to correct him.

“Of course I want you here, I just wasn’t expecting to see you so soon.” In fact, I hadn’t expected to see him until after he turned eighteen, which was months away.

“You scared me when you called, and then we hadn’t heard from you.” He brushes my concern aside with a shake of his hand and walks by me.

“I expected my return to be much happier.” When I walk back into the living room everyone's face is curious, but not happy. With the way, Beverly makes eye contact with Mike it seems like they were talking before we walked in.

“Why the long faces? Seriously, liven the fuck up.” He sits down on the couch and looks around at us.

“What’d you tell your Aunt? Are you going back soon?” His expression turns sour and his hold tightens on the armrest.

“She knows I’m gone, told the bitch I wouldn’t be coming back.” Beverly’s hands clench and unclench, I see here breathing out steady breaths.

“Where are you going to stay?” I ask, I have a feeling he doesn’t want to go back to his home.

“With you.” He shrugs, like it’s nothing like my mom won’t lose her shit.

“But my mom, you know how she is.” He chews on his bottom lip and looks around the room.

“You can stay with me, my Aunt won’t mind it.” He smiles up at Beverly, she can only manage a small twitch of her lips.

“I’ll go there now and let her know.” She walks past me, pausing for just a second to look me in the eyes. Richie stretches out his legs and scans his eyes over the room. There’s something so strange about his sudden appearance, but I can’t quite place my finger on it.

“How was Indiana?” I sit beside him and he puts his arm around my shoulder, it doesn’t feel right.

“Boring as shit, my cousin didn’t like me very much.” I guess I’d be pretty ticked off if a cousin I hadn’t seen for years started living with me.

“And there wasn’t anything to do besides going to the arcade.” He shudders a bit at the mention of the Arcade, he’d never actually gone into full detail of what had happened that day. Stan comes out of the kitchen with a bowl of popcorn and sets it on the table.

“Who’s up for a movie?”


	2. Among us

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry for my extended absence :( My brain has latched onto the Marauder's and I've been finding it hard to focus on anything else. I was also dealing with the end of my Physics class (Thank God.) I thank you for your patience and I do hope you'll stick around.

Richie was strange, stranger than normal. But I just chalked it up to all the new changes in his life. There was nothing new on the whereabouts of his parents, but the police have probably forgotten all about it. But that was just how it was in this shit hole, people went missing, and people forgot. Richie’s had his arm around me the whole evening but it feels wrong, he’s much too cold and stiff.

“Aren’t you cold?” He shrugs and pulls me closer to his frigid body. Mike looks over at us but doesn’t say anything, I can almost hear the cogs turning in his head. The door clicks open and Beverly quietly steps in.

“My aunt says it’s ok, but you can’t be in my room at night.” Richie smiles widely up at her, she looks away quickly. She sits on the opposite end of the couch from us.

“What are we watching?”

“The thing.” I had been against the movie, it reminded me too much of  _ that summer _ .

“It’s stupid.” Richie rolls his eyes and grabs a fistful of popcorn, crudely shoving it into his mouth. It’s the most in-character thing he’s done since he’s been back, I let myself relax into him. After the credits have rolled I lean over and kiss Richie, forgetting my earlier apprehension. Someone throws a pillow at us and we break apart.

“Time to go loverboy.” Beverly drags Richie by the hand and they disappear into the night.

“Is he acting weird?” Stan says as he puts away the movie.

“Richie’s always weird, you’ve got to be more specific.” 

“I don’t know, he didn’t really seem like himself.” That’s true, but it’s been a while since we last saw him. We have no idea what happened while he was away.

“I might be stress.” Stan seems to agree and he helps me clean the snack bowls.

“I wonder what happened when he was away.” I just shrug. I’ll try and talk to him about it tomorrow. Though I doubt I’ll get anything out of him, he rarely wore his heart on his sleeve.

The next day Richie shows u to the Quarry alone.

“Where’s Bev?” Ever since that summer, we tended to stay in groups, never alone, Richie knows this. But all he does is shrug and says,

“She wasn’t there when I woke up, I assumed she was already here.” A sense of panic wedges its way into my chest, how can he be so nonchalant?

“Did her Aunt say where she went?” He does that stupid shrug again and tosses a rock into the water.

“She wasn’t home either.” Stan’s got a funny look on his face that I can’t quite place, he looks over to Mike. I’m sure Beverly is just fine, but I can’t stop myself from worrying.

“Are we swimming?” Richie pulls off his shirt and my hand flies to my mouth, catching his attention.

“What the fuck happened?” There are strange marks scattered across his chest, the skin almost looks rotten. He runs his fingers across them and the faintest smile crosses his face.

“Got into some shit before I got here.” He pulls a cigarette from behind his ear, placing it in his mouth. The marks are the same diameter as the lit cigarette. I pull him aside as the others get undressed.

“Did you do this?” He looks down, I can’t see his eyes as he speaks to me.

“It got bad again, I’m sorry.” I take his cold hands in one and kiss his knuckles.

“You were supposed to tell me when it got bad. You promised.” He still doesn’t look at me, but I catch a smile on his lips.

“I’ll tell you everything I feel from now on.”

Beverly hadn’t turned up at all, and we were all beginning to get worried. Even Richie was biting his fingernails and inconsistently tapping his foot.

“I feel awful, I should have been up with her, what if something happened? It’s all my fault, I shouldn’t have slept in.” I lay a hand on his shoulder and he momentarily stiffens, it makes my heart clench in worry.

“Let’s go around town and look for her.” We agree to split into groups of two, Richie and I would look in the south part of town, Ben and Bill would go north, and Stan and Mike east. If we didn’t find anything we’d meet back in the town center. I’m practically sick with worry as Richie and I pass by the shops of Derry.

“Maybe she’s out with her Aunt.” Richie hadn’t spoken since we started looking, his voice almost startles me.

“Let’s hope.” We walk for two hours before I call it quits, Richie’s eyes look glassy and far away. When we get to the town centre everyone is looking as dejected as I feel. It’s almost dark when we reach Beverly’s house, Richie doesn’t want us to come in.

“I just want to be alone right now. But I’ll tell you guys if she’s home.” He walks slowly to the house and looks back at me before closing the door, there’s something strange in his eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the short chapter, inspiration has been hard to come by.


	3. The thing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Taking a look at another perspective.

It’d been almost a week, and still, there was no sign of Beverly. We’d hardly seen Richie either, though I knew exactly where he was. Only a day before I’d gone over to visit him and found him being violently sick in the toilet. I love him, but there is no way I’m going anywhere near him now that he’s got a cold.

“What if It got her?” We’re sitting around Mike’s fire pit when Stan brings says what we’ve all been thinking.

“No, we got rid of it.” I shake my head, I don’t want to believe that it could happen again.

“It’s the only logical explanation!” I stare into the yellow flames of the fire.

“Nothing about that summer was logical!” I cry I don’t want to face that again, I can’t face that again.

“Well then what do you think happened to her?” I open and close my mouth like a fish, unable to produce an answer. Stan looks smug, I glare at him.

“I don’t want to go through that again.” He gives me a sympathetic look but doesn’t relent.

“I know, but we don’t have a choice. It got her once before and I’m sure it doesn’t want to give her up.” I shudder at the thought of her milky eyes, I wished I’d never had to see that again.

“How’s Richie doing?” Mike asks and I’m grateful for the conversation change.

“He’s still sick, he called me this morning.” I don’t know why I lied, I haven’t talked to him since yesterday. Stan looks at me curiously but doesn’t comment, he probably sees right through me.

“I think we should start to look into the possibility of It being back.” The thought makes my stomach turn.

“We’ll start tomorrow.” 

Tomorrow came too soon for my liking. As usual, Mike is the first up, and I’m not too fr behind him. When I get to the kitchen he’s already nose deep in a book while quietly munching on some toast.

“Morning, Mike.” He nods his head to show me he’s heard, I roll my eyes and get myself a piece of toast. When I sit down I pull a book from his pile and look a the cover.

“The lives of Tao?” He shrugs and I turn the book over.

“ _He now has a passenger in his brain - an ancient alien life-form called Tao, whose race crash-landed on Earth before the first fish crawled out of the oceans. Now split into two opposing factions - the peace-loving, but under-represented Prophus, and the savage, powerful Genjix - the aliens have been in a state of civil war for centuries. Both sides are searching for a way off-planet, and the Genjix will sacrifice the entire human race if that's what it takes?_ ” He finally looks up at me, a pained look on his face.

This sounds like a load of Shit. This doesn’t even apply to our situation.” He doesn’t say anything, it makes me nervous.

“Mike?” He bites his lip and looks away.

“Richie’s been strange lately, we’ve all seen it. And that phone call, I mean what if something happened to him?” I shake my head, yeah Richie’s been weird, he’s always fucking weird.

“That’s such bullshit. Richie is Richie, there’s nothing _inside_ of him.” It makes me sick, to think I’ve been talking and hugging some fake Richie.

“I’m not saying that’s what happened. I’m just trying to cover all our bases.” I throw away my toast and head back to the living room, where everyone else is still asleep.

“Don’t be blinded by love, Eddie.” I scoff as the door swings shut behind me. No, it’s not possible that Richie has an alien in his head. Richie’s just being Richie, that’s all this is.

“Will? Honey, dinner’s ready.” I burrow myself deeper into my cocoon of blankets, not ready to face the world yet. It’s been a while since Richie went into the portal, but it feels like it was only yesterday that we lost him. There’s a gentle knock on the door and I pull the sheets over my head.

“Go away.” The door opens anyways but quickly shuts, my bed dips and I turn to face the intruder.

“Hey, mom says dinner’s ready.” Jonathan pulls the covers down and I shut my eyes tight.

“Aren’t you supposed to be at Nancy’s?” He sighs and lays down beside me.

“That was last week, Will.” Oh, I didn’t realize that much time had passed. Everything seems to blur together, I can’t tell if it’s a good thing yet.

“Mom made your favourite, Mac and cheese.” Now that he mentions it I can smell it in the air, it somewhat motivates me to get out of bed.

“Are you ok?” I snort, since when has anyone in our family been ok?

“I know, stupid question. Are you at risk of running away?” I shake my head no, I hear him let out a breath.

“Why’s this kid affected you so much, you hardly even knew him.” I shrug, even though I know the answer. He looked like Mike, which is the main reason I’m so upset. He was a bit older and had a different style but at the base of that, he looked so Mike-like. And when I saw him run into the portal with tears staining his cheeks all I could see was Mike, All I could see was Mike disappearing into the unknown. All I knew was that Mike was gone and never coming back. But then it wasn’t Mike and it was Richie, but the loss felt just as great because Richie was nice to him. I’ll never admit this aloud because it makes it real, it makes my feelings for Mike real. Jonathans' hand pushes my hair away and I finally open my eyes.

“It’s ok, you don’t have to tell me. I just want you to know, that no matter what, I’m always going to be here for you.” He smiles and gets up, turning to me before leaving.

“It’d make mom happy to see you at the dinner table.” He shuts the door and my room is bathed in darkness once again.


	4. The End.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As the chapter title says, this is the end. As you can see I've updated the tags so please pay close attention and check for anything that may be triggering. I must warn you there is a lot of gore and unsettling things in this chapter. I originally was going to split this into two chapters, but I've decided to make it one. I'm sad but happy to have finished this, and I'm sorry if it's not satisfactory. Because over time since I've started this I've begun to slowly lose interest but i did not want to abandon this. Without further ado, please enjoy.

It’s been more than two weeks and we’ve heard nothing from Beverly. Richie’s also been distancing himself from us, from me. And I’m getting desperate looking for answers. We’re all worried about Beverly and Richie, me more than others. Lately, it’s been feeling like we're just friends, even though less than a year ago we were fucking. I haven’t even been alone with him for weeks, and it’s worrying me. I mean it’s not like him at all, and it’s also not like Beverly to just disappear. I wish I knew how to contact his family back in Hawkins, maybe then I would get answers. But Richie refuses to divulge any information on the matter, and I just don’t understand why. He’d only keep things like this from me if he was hiding something big, but I can’t understand what he would want to hide from me.

“She hasn’t contacted you at all?” Richie shrugs and takes another drag from his cigarette.

“How many times do I have to tell ya, Eds. If she called me I would let you guys know right away.” I know he’s lying to my face, not necessarily about Bev calling, but about what happened to her. But I’m not sure enough to call him out on it, I need to gather more information. I should take to Stan about this, Stan has known Richie longer than I have, maybe he could finally get through to him.

“Ok, sure. But I doubt I’ll get definitive answers from him.” I’d be happy with anything at this point.

“I don’t understand, how is this possible?” I’d convinced Mike to come with me to the lab, and then Nancy didn’t want us to be alone, so inevitably Mike, Nancy, Jonathan and I ended up in the lab underneath Starcourt Mall.

“That’s not possible.” The carnage they’d seen last time had been completely erased from the lab, in fact, everything had been erased. There are no machines, no charts and no people.

“I don’t get it, this just looks like a storage facility.” Jonathan and Nancy have never been down here before, so obviously they don’t understand our surprise.

“There was a lab down here, and there were bodies everywhere.” Mike and I search the entire area, but there’s absolutely no evidence of what happened here that night.

“This is where he disappeared.” I run my hands over the wall, and if I look close enough there’s the faintest scorch mark.

“I don’t know what you guys want us to see. I mean there’s nothing here.” I drop my hand and turn back to my brother.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t know what I’d find here.” He gives me a sad smile and we start to walk out together.

“What was that kid's name again?” My brow furrows and I look at Nancy.

“Who?” Her eyes go cloudy but it only lasts for a second.

“I don’t know, um why are we here?” My mind draws a blank, why are we here?”

“We’re meeting Luke and Dustin at the arcade.” I nod my head and run after Mike, who’s just spotted our friends.

“Have fun, be safe!”

“What are you doing?” Richie asks the red-headed girl bent over his drawers. She visibly jumps when she hears his voice.

“I was just looking for a T-shirt.” He doesn’t believe her, she knows this.

“No, you weren’t.” He takes a step forward, she takes one back.

“I wasn’t.” He steps towards her again and her back hits the dresser, she’s cornered.

“I know what you are.” He smiles a cruel smile, she visibly shudders.

“What are you going to do about it? Tell on me?” She stands her ground and doesn’t let her fear show through her expression. But he can smell it in the air, can almost taste it.

“We stopped you before, we can stop you again.” The smile never leaves his face as rushes to her, she has no time to react before his hands are wrapped around her neck.

“I never liked you, you fucking bitch.” Her eyes bulge as his grip tightens, and he hands desperately claw at his arms, trying to break free.

“How does it feel, knowing you’re going to die by my hand?” Richie laughs as a blood vessel bursts in her eyes, he can feel her body weaken.

“You should be grateful, I’m giving you a wonderful gift.” He gives one last squeeze and there’s an audible crack as her neck gives under the weight of his hands. He lats go and her body drops to the floor. He kneels down beside her and brushes the red hair from her face.

“Pity, you were quite beautiful.”

“Hey, Rich. How are you.” Richie lets Stanley in and shuts the door behind him, locking it.

“I’m fine, you?” Stan shrugs and Richie offers him some water.

“Did Eddie send you?” Stan nods and Richie sits next to him, brushing his hand through his hair.

“He’s really worried about you, you know? The least you could do is talk to him.” All these fucking feelings are exhausting, He doesn’t understand.

“What really happened to Beverly, Richie?” Richie looks at him, studying his expression. If he tells Stan the truth he will likely have to kill him, but if he keeps lying Stan will know. Either way, it will not end well for Stanley.

“I killed her.” There’s no exclamation of shock, but he expected that from him.

“Alright. You’re going to kill me, aren’t you.” He doesn’t ask it like a question, he knows his fate. Richie nods and Stan finally turns to look at him.

“What’d you put in the water?” He sets his empty glass on the counter.

“Tetrodotoxin” Stan nods.

“Clever, but that won’t kill me.” Richie already knew this, and Stan knows he knows this.

“I only need to keep you still for a while.” He can see Stan struggling to move, the d=effects have already begun to set in.

“Why.” Good, he can still talk.

“I want you to watch me eat you.”

~~~~~~~~

“He can’t hear you, you know.” The thing that wears Richie’s skin tilts its head, he’s unable to move much more. We’d tied him up, after we’d seen him- no it was no good to think on that.

“What’s that mean?” He smiles and runs his tongue over blood-stained teeth.

“There’s hardly anything left, so easy to tuck away.” I move my shaking hands behind my back, I don’t want him to see how scared I am.

“You’re going to give him back!” Ben yells, taking a step closer to the boy in the chair. Not Richie lets out a cackling laugh, setting my teeth on edge. How could I have been so fucking stupid? I should have said something as soon as I felt the uneasy feeling, maybe then Beverly and Stan would still be here.

“Fools!” He cackles again and jerks against his restraints, the wooden chair creaks under him.

“My claws are so deep inside him that breaking us apart will kill him! Could you kill him, Eddie?” He pouts his lips and tilts his head in mock innocence, bile rises in my throat.

“You’re lying!” I shake my head and clench my fists. This thing is just lying to get out of this, I believe that Richie is still in there.

“Then kill me. See how your boy will survive without me.” I try to back up and my foot snags on a metal wire, causing me to fall backwards. The thing laughs and heat colours my face.

“Your fear tastes so good.” His eyes almost roll back and he’s got a cruel smile on his face.

“What will you do? Will you kill him, or will you let me go?” Ben tries to help me up but I push his hands away, I need time to think, I need more time.

“Can you play God? Can you decide who lives and who dies?”

“Shut up! I scream, but the thing only laughs. I finally accept Ben’s help and he pulls me to my feet.

“We have to kill IT, we can’t let something like that roam free.” Tears run down my face.

“But Richie, he’s trapped in there.” 

“Fuck, I know. But think of the greater good.” The thing is humming something but I can’t quite hear it.

“Fuck the greater good! This is Richie we’re talking about. What would he do if I were in this situation? He would do everything he could to save me.” Mike walks back in holding something metal in his hands, I can’t make it out.

“I know this is hard for you, but that is _not_ Richie.” It said that there was a little bit of him left, a little bit isn't nothing. 

“There’s still a chance, there has to be.” 

“ _Eddie my love, I love you so. How I've waited for you you'll never know. Please, Eddie, don’t make me wait too long. Eddie, please write me one line. Tell me your love is still only mine. Please, Eddie, don't make me wait too long_ ” Not-Richie’s eyes are closed and his head is gently sawing to the beat, when he’s done he opens his eyes and looks at. His smile is so Richie-like that it makes me stop for a moment. I go to take a step towards him but Mike grabs onto my arm.

“Stop. Don’t let yourself fall victim to Its game.” Mike reveals the item in his hand, my hand flies to my mouth. He’s holding the gun used to kill the sheep at the farm.

“No, no no!” Ben holds tight onto my arms as Mike moves towards Richie.

“Eddie? Eddie, please help me, I’m scared. Eddie, I’m scared, please don’t let him hurt me.” Tears are running from Richie’s eyes, his bright blue eyes. It makes Mike stop in his tracks and look over to Ben.

“Let me do it,” I say. Mike looks skeptical but after a few minutes of eye contact, he relents. He hands me the gun, it’s cold and heavy in my hands. 

“Eddie, I’m so scared, I don’t know what’s happening to me. Please, you have to help me, there’s something inside of me. You have to help me, Eddie. I’m so scared.” I gently wipe his tears away and he looks at me with hope in his eyes.

“I can help you, Richie, ok? I’m going to help you, but you’ve got to tell me something first.” He nods his head and looks up at me.

“What happened to Patrick?” He disappeared right around the time Richie had to move to Indiana. Sometimes I couldn’t help but think that Richie may have had something to do with it. It was common knowledge that Patrick was Richie’s tormentor. Now, Richie looks down, then looks back up at me.

“I killed him.” He whispers. There’s an audible gasp from behind me, but I ignore it.

“I didn’t mean to, I swear! It was an accident, and I panicked. I didn’t know what to do so I put his body in the Quarry.” Even though I theorized about it, the fact that it’s true still shocks me.

“I believe you. I’m gonna get this thing out of you, I swear.” He smiles at me, a strange smile. 

“You’re so _fucking_ gullible.” There’s not enough time for my brain to register what he has just said, because the next thing I know we’re on the ground and he’s on top of me.

“Eddie!” Mike lunges at Richie but it’s too late, there’s a burning pain in my side and Richie’s smiling.

“You couldn’t do it, could you? I want to thank you though. Because of you, I’m free.” He pulls the knife out of my side and licks it clean of my blood.

“You taste so good.” His smile is bloodstained and cruel, out of the corner of my eye, I see Mike advancing on him. Richie runs the tip of the knife against my jaw and uses it to raise my chin.

“Don’t worry, I won’t let you go to waste.” Behind him, Mike places the gun to the back of his head, but Richie does not look scared. His face is not the face of a man who knows he will lose, his face is full of victory.

“Do you think you could hold me?” Is the last thing he says before Mike shoots a metal rod through his brain. Distantly I hear myself scream, as his body falls limp on me. It’s like I’m watching my body like I’m not really in it anymore. I watch as Mike and Ben pulls me out from under Richie and drag me out of the barn. I watch as they put me in the truck and drive m down to the hospital. I watch as the doctors operate on my body. And finally, I watch as my eyes open, days later, and they look right at me. I watch as my body smiles at me.

“ _Welcome home_ , Eddie.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song lyrics I've put in there are from Eddie my love by the Cordettes. I do know there is a gap in the story where things could have happened. But I've decided to not descried Richie eating Stan, it's a little much.


End file.
